Helpful ReplyWicked Dogs and Pedal Pops for sale!

Wicked Dogs and Pedal Pops for sale!

I hope it's ok that I post this...I realize that mostly local peeps will be able to take advantage of this but thought I'd give it a shot anyway. It's been an interesting year but I'm moving on...selling both the Wicked Dogs hot dog cart AND the very cool Pedal Pops ice cream trike!

I wanted to say that I really enjoyed getting to know everyone here and have appreciated all the support and help while I was here. I hope that maybe down the road others will find my past posts helpful...thanks everyone!

Well that was quick! Maybe I didn't charge enough...ha ha! Thank you everyone...again, I appreciate all the help that I've received on here. I'm starting orientation with Costco on Thursday and am very excited about it. Good pay that gets better, health benefits, etc...

Mixed feelings here about your decision to move on. Can't blame your cart though, I really admired the uniqueness of the menu board, the siding used on the cart, well just everything. Glad the sale was quick and you got the asking price, it had to have hurt seeing it go maybe a little. I've been praying about whether to keep at it or move on and then somebody at church gave me a refrigerator/freezer for my business. Is that a sign? Good luck to you @Costco DJD, wish you the very best. Randy @Jodogs

djdawgSOLD! Well that was quick! Maybe I didn't charge enough...ha ha! Thank you everyone...again, I appreciate all the help that I've received on here. I'm starting orientation with Costco on Thursday and am very excited about it. Good pay that gets better, health benefits, etc... Good luck everyone!

Kevin, My laptop's been down. I just saw this post today. Man a big deal with my van now for weeks. $300 worth of parts, wires, plugs, OS, dist, rotor, you name it. and it is stilll shaking like a leaf. Broke, no money to fix it. Spending $100 today to see what's wrong at the GMC dealer.

What I want to say is that out of a clear blue sky, yesterday my friend with the Home Depot Hot Dog setup calls me and offers me $2000 for my cart. I was quite surprised! I said I'd think about it.

Now seeing you getting out with as hard as you've tried and with one of the best looking carts I've ever seen, I'm thinking harder now about letting my cart go.

I did great at the auctions I've done, but it's just one auctioneer here that's using me and I've only done 5 auctions this year so far. I've made $150 to $350 usually and I've made $550 at one of them.

Man I thought this was going to be a haven for me when I started, but I've found out that there are just places were people will not eat hot dogs on a street corner or any parking lot I'm convinced.

I started last year in August, and I remember being jealous when I saw your great looking cart. I just can't believe that you're leaving. I'll miss your post and wish you the best. Even if I sell my cart, I'll check Roadfood out every now and again, I think. Too many funny things going on here to not just check it out once in a while.

I have a couple of thoughts that might help others....maybe allow others to be more successful then I was....take it with a grain of salt and use it if it works.

A huge challenge for me is that this was the only job I did and I was alone doing it. In other words, no relationship at the time (although I'm in one now that is going great - weird huh? LOL) no marriage, no health benes through the wife, etc and that really wears on you. Not feeling like you're alone when going down this path is very important I think. Encouragement from a partner is so key for some people. Do you have a main job? Could this be a source of secondary $? If you're in that position you'll probably do a lot better then I did...this was ALL I had. (by my own choice) Also if you choose to do this as your sole profession, you MUST set yourself up correctly to do just that. Which leads me to my second and most important point....

You HAVE to have some cash flow. I see myself as a decent - not great - business man - but my HUGE mistake was thinking "oh, it's only hot dogs!" In other words when I first started I did not have a couple grand....nor even $500 in the checking account to use for purchasing more dogs, buns, etc. So what ends up happening is that you go out and sell dogs and while you're out you're just praying that you'll sell enough so you can get enough $ to go buy stuff for tomorrow. And sometimes you pray that you won't sell TOO MUCH of any one thing because then you'll have to buy a whole new package of polish sausage or whatever. When you get in that spot, it's almost impossible to get out and that's where I was. Not at first....but you can't sustain that.

I chalk up the whole experience as something positive. I'm trying not to think of it like I "failed" but it's hard not to sometimes. To be honest, I had the most fun creating the whole thing more the I did selling. Building the cart, helping with the logo, searching for locations, working with the city, etc gave me a ton of satisfaction so based on that alone, I don't see it as a failed project.

I have been self employed for almost 20 yrs. (was a wedding dj the prior 18 or so) So being part of something bigger (Costco) is really exciting for me. I'll be starting in the front end (fancy word for cashier and cashier's asst, lol) and hope to go up and up. I had employees when my dj company was around, enjoy management, motivating others so I think it's a great fit. If a person just wants to be a front end person or be in another position, you can work up to $25 an hour and that's pretty awesome if you ask me. Depending on the company itself and the culture of this store, my ultimate goal will be to become a warehouse manager and I will take steps to do just that beginning my first day which is tomorrow.

Got my clothes layed out....little spiral notebook to take notes, new lunch carrier....just like the first day of school! Tomorrow it is......

Kevin, I have always enjoyed your posts and watched your growth. I'm sad when I see someone's dreams fall short. At least you took your best shot. Slinging dogs is a tough business. Those that don't make it far out number those that do. Few have the wisdom to realize it's not working soon enough. All I hear and read tells me that Costco is a great organization. Congrats on landing the position. I know you will succeed. Sam